The Skinny

The Aleva Naturals diaper is a comfortable option that didn't leak in our tests. This pricey diaper is nice looking and seems fragrance-free, but the disclosure of materials and eco-friendliness is vague and incomplete which left us with more questions than answers. Overall, the diaper seems durable, but it has lower absorption which means moisture remains near baby's skin until the diaper is changed which could lead to diaper rash and skin irritation or wet clothing and discomfort. Overall, this diaper costs more than diapers that scored higher in our tests making it an option we don't recommend.

Our Analysis and Hands-on Test Results

Review by:
Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz

Last Updated:
Friday
July 28, 2017

Share:

Aleva Naturals® was started by a pharmacist's when his newborn needed an all-natural product for severe nasal congestion. Growing up in a Ayurvedic culture (ancient science of life) he used his experience and knowledge to boil water, eucalyptus oil and mint to create vapors to relieve his son's congestion. After sharing his recipe with friends, he decided to start Aleva Naturals. Aleva Naturals prides itself on being pure, natural and vegan in every product line. Since 2008, the company has grown to 20 products sold in 12 countries.

Aleva Naturals diaper is soft and comfortable with skin-friendly elastic and fabric.

Performance Comparison

This comparison chart includes the overall score for the diapers we tested for this review. Aleva has a below average score and comes in the bottom third of 24 products we tested.

The sub-sections below includes details of what we like and dislike about this diaper as a result of testing results.

In our leak test, the Aleva did not leak any mock urine into the tray, but the absorption paper was fairly soaked through.

Likes

This diaper is great at preventing leaks and earned an 8 of 10 for leakage in our tests, which is the high score for this review. We experienced no leaking in our tests and Amazon reviewers, though only a few, indicated similar experiences concerning leaks. This is one of the two most important aspects for a diaper and how well it functions.

The Aleva is comfortable and scored well compared to other diapers when it came to fabric, elastic and motion areas.

This diaper also scored well for comfort and felt really cozy compared to the competition. The Aleva earned an 8 of 10 for comfort as well, which is the second highest score for comfort in this review. This diaper has very soft fabric and the motion points are not abrasive. The elastic feels like it is skin-friendly, but the closure tabs are someone rough.

We also liked that this diaper is relatively durable. While a diaper doesn't need to last for very long, it does need to keep the waste contained until a diaper change, and some comfortable diapers had trouble staying together and stopping messes from happening.

For health results, we can't say we like it, but we don't dislike it either. This diaper scored a 5 of 10 for health which is just over the average. This diaper is chlorine, lotion and latex free. It doesn't mention fragrances or dyes, but we didn't smell anything when we opened it and there is a print on the front of the diaper. Aleva doesn't have a full disclosure list or allergy certification.

Given that some diapers had no moisture transfer, the Aleva diaper is a disappointment with a full wetness transfer to the test paper indicating poor absorption.

Dislikes

Our biggest dislike is the absorption test results for the Aleva diaper. This diaper earned a 1 of 10 in our tests for absorption with an excessive amount of liquid transfer from the diaper to the paper surface. This kind of transfer indicates that the diaper is not locking moisture in the core and that it will be against baby's skin which can cause irritation and possible diaper rash. This is a real bummer because along with leakage, absorption is one of the key functions of a diaper and it fails to pass muster.

Given the focus on being vegan and all natural, it is somewhat disappointing that they haven't made a bigger effort to be eco-friendly. The Alev earned a 4 of 10 for eco-friendliness without full disclosure and only vague comments concerning materials. While they make the claim of bleach free, they don't specify what they mean by this. We suspect they are using ECF pulp like most other diaper brands because TCF pulp is brag worthy and they don't mention it. The company only specifies the material makeup of the top and bottom layer as bamboo, which means the core is likely wood pulp that contains dioxins. This is the same as most diaper brands and disappointing for a diaper that claims eco-friendliness.

Conclusion

The Aleva Naturals diaper offers impressive leak test results and is super comfortable with soft fabric and skin-friendly motion points and elastics. However, it earned a below average score overall with disappointing scores for absorption, health, and eco-friendliness. While it isn't a terrible diaper and has some interesting features, the limited absorption and higher price make it a diaper that isn't as good as much of the competition.

Manufacturer Video

—
Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz

Where to Buy?

Thinking about buying some gear we've reviewed? Help BabyGearLab out if you do. Just click on any of the above links and if you make any purchase, a portion of sale helps support this site. It won't cost you anything extra, and it's a simple way to help us fund our testing and reviews. Thanks!